Email is one of the most critical tools for many businesses and non-profit organizations. It offers a fast, affordable and convenient way to manage communications. Useful for inter-company conversations and client contact, email can keep your team members connected, drive interaction among consumers and boost sales.

The statistics tell the story of widespread popularity: 205 billion emails are sent every day. The average return on investment (ROI) for business use is around $38 for every $1 spent. What’s more, 86% of web users are actively interested in receiving marketing communications from companies with which they do regular business.

As your company grows, though, your workflow processes need to grow, too. As your client list gets longer and longer, it is difficult to keep up with sending emails one at a time. You can move your business to automated emails. Here's are three common questions about the email automation process.

1. What Is Email Automation?Email automation “takes the actions in your email program that are repeatable and predictable and puts them into a program you can automate,” according to author Ryan Phelan. Automated email involves a one-time setup experience and a process that handles itself moving forward.

For most individuals or business owners, emails are written specifically with a certain task in mind. For example, when a new subscriber enrolls in your email list, you can send an immediate email note to make a connection.

To skip the step of personally typing out responses or customizing newsletters, many companies use planned email responses. For example, a retailer can send an email following a purchase or email list registration which are automated. Utilizing a mail program that can generate responses in the blink of an eye without any employee interaction.

With 49% of companies using automated emails – almost 11 times more than seen in 2011 – a fine-tuned approach to automation can keep you in line with the competition.

3. How Can You Effectively Use Automated Emails?
Automated emails provide an easy way to improve speed and efficiency of email communications. But getting going requires a planned approach.
​Create a Plan
Before automating emails, you need to know what you want to send and where you want to send it. You also need to consider what event (such as a customer action) serve to trigger emails. Some common examples are:

Find an Automation Resource
If you use a program like Outlook or Gmail, you may be wondering how exactly you can create an automated message. In general, this process isn't handled through that type of email account. Automation usually requires a third-party application to coordinate. These platforms, like MailChimp, Automate.io, Campaign Monitor, and GetResponse, are available in abundance, with varying price points and functions. For new companies, free or “freemium” (free software with costs for premium features) will generally suffice.

Set Up Your Workflow
Once you've selected a marketing tool, it's time to automate. With most of these platforms, it's possible to choose common events or set up intuitive funnels to connect action to email. For example, Campaign Monitor offers numerous basic activities (such as a new email signup, a date, or site update), to use as trigger actions. After you draft emails and create a process for feeding new email addresses into your system, your automated emails will be ready to go.
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Why send emails yourself when automated software can do it for you? With a solid automation process in place, you can turn your limited time to other vital issues for your business while knowing your email marketing is set up and ready to respond to your needs.